Hey everyone, I hope you are doing well. I am sure some of you have heard by now that
God is calling me to a very exciting opportunity next year. I am writing to let you know
exactly what it is I’m being called to and tell you a little bit more about what I’ll be doing. Next year I am going to be participating in a program called YWAM, or Youth With A Mission. This is something I have been praying about for a long time. Ever since I have started getting involved in Mexico I have felt like I have wanted to do something mission oriented with my life. I am still not exactly sure what that will look like but for the past few years I have felt a tug on my heart to the poor, the orphaned and the fatherless. I have had a definite picture in my head of taking the love I have been given, and sharing it with less fortunate children internationally. God has blessed me so incredibly much throughout my childhood. When I first felt my heart move in Mexico it was because of the children that were not as blessed as I was. I got to know them, their personalities and their joy and I didn’t understand why I was the one with the ‘good’ life and why they were the ones living with next to nothing. It used to bother me immensely. Later as I grew closer to God and more familiar with how he wants to use me specifically, I have realized there was a reason that I was so blessed. I have been given so much love from God, my parents, my family, my youth leaders, and my friends so that I can take that love and pour it back out into those who truly need it. There is nothing I want more than to just show children that they are loved and I know this is something that is pleasing to God.
exactly what it is I’m being called to and tell you a little bit more about what I’ll be doing. Next year I am going to be participating in a program called YWAM, or Youth With A Mission. This is something I have been praying about for a long time. Ever since I have started getting involved in Mexico I have felt like I have wanted to do something mission oriented with my life. I am still not exactly sure what that will look like but for the past few years I have felt a tug on my heart to the poor, the orphaned and the fatherless. I have had a definite picture in my head of taking the love I have been given, and sharing it with less fortunate children internationally. God has blessed me so incredibly much throughout my childhood. When I first felt my heart move in Mexico it was because of the children that were not as blessed as I was. I got to know them, their personalities and their joy and I didn’t understand why I was the one with the ‘good’ life and why they were the ones living with next to nothing. It used to bother me immensely. Later as I grew closer to God and more familiar with how he wants to use me specifically, I have realized there was a reason that I was so blessed. I have been given so much love from God, my parents, my family, my youth leaders, and my friends so that I can take that love and pour it back out into those who truly need it. There is nothing I want more than to just show children that they are loved and I know this is something that is pleasing to God.
I first heard of doing a Discipleship Training School (DTS) through YWAM and began to get interested in it through friends. YWAM is an international Christian organization focused on training this generation to make Jesus known throughout the world. YWAM is a fairly large organization with over a thousand bases in many countries. The DTS focuses on training youth to evangelize, love, and care for people all over the world. The DTS is made up of two parts, the lecture phase and the outreach phase. The lecture phase usually lasts about 3 months and consists of classes, speakers, and local outreaches. The purpose of the lecture phase is to better equip the students for the outreach phase, usually lasting 2-3 months, and usually in another country, with various focuses.
On January 16, 2013, I will be taking part in a Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Chico, California. I will be spending 12 weeks there for the lecture phase, and I will find out what country my 8 week outreach will be in once I am in training. Another thing I am so grateful to the Lord for is His aid in my learning Spanish. I am not quite fluent yet but He has placed the right people in my life to help me to get very close. The winter DTS in Chico will be entirely bilingual. I am so excited to learn even more Spanish, and likely go on the outreach in a Spanish speaking country.
It would mean so much to me if you would consider supporting me in this decision to pursue God’s will for my life through YWAM. I am hoping that my time there will further enhance my understanding of the ministry God is bringing me to. I will be trying very hard to keep all of my family and friends updated on this journey while I am away. All of your prayers mean so much to me, now as I prepare to go, and also while I am actually doing the DTS. Right now I am working at Chick-fil-a to try and raise some of the $6,000 cost. I am praying that God will help with me to raise the rest of this money, and I am faithful that He will. If He is calling you to help me with this financially, then please do so, but not because you feel obligated, but only out of obedience to the Lord. Any support, especially prayer, is greatly appreciated. Besides praying that I will be able to raise enough money for this, some other prayer requests I have are that God will truly use this time to bring me closer to Him and to show me more of his plan for me. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope you will keep me in your thoughts as I go away with the Lord on this adventure.
If anyone does want to help me financially, please make checks out to “Youth With A Mission” with “Kayla Carlevato” in the memo and send it to me at:
9629 Valley Woods Ln
Knoxville, TN 37922
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